Creepy, crawly, spooky and sweet all make an appearance at Halloween. It is the time of year to be indulgent and even a little bit over the top, as we break out unusual food colors to infuse black and orange into treats and try to think of new ways to use up tons of leftover snack sized candy bars besides patiently munching through the bag. You could throw wet noodles and peeled grapes into a bowl and let guests be grossed out by touching them in the dark, but it’s more fun to bake something tasty that ties in with Halloween, so I put together a list of a few ideas that will help you get any Halloween celebration off the ground – no wet noodles required.
- Break out the sprinkles! The easiest way to decorate is to stop by a local craft store, or even the baking aisle at your local market, and look for black, orange, purple and green sprinkles that will add a lot of flare to a treat like cupcakes or cookies. There are often seasonal sprinkles, shaped like bats or bones, that add an even more festive touch.
- Bake a pumpkin shaped cake. You can buy a realistic pumpkin pan, or divide a cake batter into a pair of oven-safe round mixing bowls, then simply stack the twin cakes to make a great pumpkin shaped base. Pumpkin cake is a good choice, but any flavor of cake will do the trick. Cover the cake with orange frosting and use a little chocolate (or some chocolate candies) to create a jack o’ lantern face.
- A Pumpkin and Chocolate Layer Cake captures the colors and the flavor of the season without being too over-the-top in terms of decoration. Alternating layers of pumpkin cake and chocolate cake make for a beautiful and crowd-pleasing presentation with every slice.
- Speaking of color, look out for seasonal variations of products that you might use during the rest of the year. Seasonal black and orange Oreo Cookies, for instance, add a Halloween infusion of color to an easy to make batch of Halloween Mini Cheesecakes. Seasonal candies, like Halloween M&Ms can make for a colorful variation on regular chocolate chip cookies, too.
- Adding a gooey filling to an otherwise plain cupcake is another way to make an impact. Only two little bite marks on the top of a Vampire Cupcake hint at the blood-red cherry filling inside. A green-tinted lemon curd will ooze out of Cupcakes from the Black Lagoon when you take a bite. It is easy to fill the cupcakes and the results are fantastic. This video tutorial will show you how.
- Chocolate cake is a surprisingly versatile Halloween ingredient. If you process it into crumbs in the food processor, you end up with realistic looking, edible “dirt.” Use the “dirt” as an earthy topping for cakes and Dirt Cupcakes or to enhance the presentation of other Halloween desserts by adding an organic element to the plate. A few gummy worms will make a nice finishing touch.
- You can’t skip carving pumpkins for Halloween. It’s fun to do, attracts costumed kids and party-goers to your door, and gives you a chance to toast up some pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin Seeds are a delicious, savory snack that only take a few minutes to make. You can season them simply with salt and pepper, or toss in some dried chili or chipotle if you want yours with a little kick.
- Since pumpkins are plentiful this time of year, it is also a good time to bake pumpkin pie. You can make your own homemade pumpkin puree by roasting or boiling pumpkin pieces and pureeing them in a food processor. Be sure to choose a sweet pumpkin, like a sugar pumpkin or a cinderella pumpkin, rather than a more fibrous carving pumpkin.
- Candy corn is a Halloween staple that you either love or hate, but either way, they’re an unmistakable sign of the season. Candy Corn Cookies are honey-kissed cookies that capture the look of those yellow, orange and white candies with a more grown up flavor. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even try to make your own candy corn!
- When the big day is finally over, use leftover candy bars to make a Halloween Candy Bundt Cake. You can use any kind of candy, chop it up and add it to this plain cake batter. You’ll end up with a great new twist on dessert and a few less tempting treats sitting around the candy bowl at home.
the blissful baker
October 26, 2010thanks for all of the great ideas! i want to bake a great halloween treat without making it too “kiddish” and these recipes are exactly what i was looking for 🙂
Lauren at KeepItSweet
October 27, 2010thanks, some creative fun ideas!
elisabeth
October 28, 2010I just love the pancakes!! Will be making these this weekend. Thanks so much for some great ideas.
natalie
October 14, 2012Brilliant ideas thanks!!!